The Caged Heart
by BlackHeart624
Summary: She lost her freedom. She lost her father's trust. She lost her honor. But she will not lose herself. Because Naruto was worth it. She knew that. But how will Naruto do about all this?  This takes place after Hinata's Confession.
1. Chapter 1

**My first fanfiction. **I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Disclaimer.** I do not own Naruto or any of the characters (sadly)

* * *

**The Caged Heart**

A few months after the battle with Pein, the village Hidden in the Leaves was back to normal. The villagers managed to fix all the damage done. It seems like nothing was going wrong in the quiet village of Kohona anymore. And they all thanked Naruto for that. Ironically enough, the one everyone despised in his younger years was the one who managed to stand up for them. Out of love for the village.

But Naruto wasn't the only one who stood up that day. A pearl eyed girl stood up and did what she thought she would never do in a million years. Confessed. She stood up for Naruto when he couldn't and fought for him, even if she knew she had no chances of winning. Some of the villagers looked up to her when they found out. Because they believed, that if she hadn't done that, they wouldn't be there right now. And they were half right. The rest of the people though, thought lowly of her. She was just a nuisance to the whole situation. That's what they believed. And again, they were half right…

The bottom line is, that Everyone knew of what the girl had done. Some would praise it, and some would think of it as a selfish and foolish act. One of these people is the head of the Hyuuga Clan. Hiashi Hyuuga.

"Hinata," Hiashi's stern voice echoed throughout the whole meeting hall.

Hinata stood there, in front of many elders of the clan. They all looked at her with pity, but their eyes showed traces of disappointment and anger.

"Your foolish actions a few months back have been looked into." His cold stare looked at the papers present in front of him. "You were obviously a nuisance to the Fox boy. Even the Kyuubi's host would agree. He obviously now deserves better than you. You have degraded yourself Hinata. You have soiled the name of the Hyuuga once again. And to think you are from the Main Branch."

These words pierced Hinata's heart. But she showed no emotion. She wouldn't give her father that pleasure.

He scoffed. "You were weak, foolish, and your bravery was only a result of selfish desires." He raised his voice to emphasize his point. "Hinata Hyuuga. I am ashamed to call you my daughter."

Hinata felt like a knife was repeatedly being stabbed on her heart. She wanted to run, cry, and scream out of desperation. But she didn't. She remained there. Standing while her father was calling her a disgrace.

"You have disappointed us for the last time." He hissed. Hiashi was cold. Everyone knew that. But somehow, he turned colder today.

"I'm s-sorry father." She bowed in front of him, hoping that he remembered that she was his daughter. "It will not h-happen again."

"We know it will not." He glanced at his daughter, with authority. "The elders and I have decided that you will be no longer the heiress. The clan wants no more embarrassments. It is… for the best."

All the present Hyuuga clan members gasped, surprised by their decision. But Hinata saw this coming. She believed that she was never right for the role of the heir anyway. She was weak, shy and lacked a lot of confidence. But she just didn't know how to react to it all.

"And you will be immediately placed in the Branch Family." He continued as Hinata's eyes widened. The meeting hall turned silent. The wind decided to stop blowing, the noise of the children playing outside was no longer heard.

Hinata's head shot up. "B-but Father—"

"It has been decided Hinata." He stood up, ready to leave, not wanting to discuss the topic anymore further. Everyone stood up along with him and bowed. "And I have assigned Neji to keep a close eye on you until further notice. Now that this has been explained. I must go."

Hiashi left, with the Elders right behind him. This left Hinata in the room with the rest of the Hyuuga clan, who still couldn't get the meeting through their heads.

"We are sorry Lady Hinata." One of the Senior members said. His eyes showed her that he did in fact mean his apology. "We need to put the Caged Bird Seal on you now."

Hinata smiled softly, accepting her fate. But deep inside, she was broken.

She followed the Branch members out of the meeting hall where they led her into another room, much more smaller and plain. This room was where her life would forever change…

* * *

"That's him mommy!" a little girl jumped happily and smiled at the blond ninja. "That's Naruto!"

The mother of the hyper girl smiled kindly at Naruto and said to her little girl. "Yes, that's certainly him."

Naruto enjoyed his fame. He _did_ after all save the village.

He thought about everything that happened. The gentle blowing of the wind encouraged him to just relax. A lot of thoughts ran through his head. Nothing in particular though. He just started thinking, with his goofy smile.

'_Because…I love you.'_ Those same words echoed in his mind. He still did not know how to react. That was the first time he has heard those words. His goofy smile turned bigger upon remembering the pale eyed girl. He never paid much attention to her. He felt guilty for that. But still, he was amazed on how someone like her, would like someone like him. She was a noble, and he was just the boy who had a Kyuubi inside him.

He sighed, unsure of his feelings for the raven haired beauty. He decided to let his thoughts wander again. He stood up from the bench and walked around the village.

People smiled at him as he walked. They usually engage in conversation with him, but they didn't do that today. They saw in his unfocused eyes that he wanted to think alone.

He ended up by the open market. Everyone was loudly talking and rushing by the streets. Naruto didn't mind. He missed the chaos that Kohona brought. He overheard a lot of conversations. The market was also known for their very juicy gossips and rumors. Most of the rumors that he overheard were about him, he just smiled when he heard them.

But he then heard something that made him stop on his tracks.

"Did you hear what the Hyuuga clan did to their heir?" the woman asked her fellow marketer with curiosity dripping out of her voice.

"Who didn't?" she replied. "Her own father practically disowned her. She was placed in the Branch Family. Poor child. They practically took away her freedom."

"And all because she stood up for that Uzumaki boy."

Naruto's hearing stopped. He stood there for a while. Guilt slowly took over him. There was no reason to be guilty, he knew that, but he was still feeling the painful pull in his heart. The words haunted him. He couldn't believe any of it. Did they really dethrone her? Many thoughts ran through his mind.

Naruto was frozen, only one word escaped him lips. "Hinata…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Second Chapter is Up. Thank you everyone for your reviews. They give me inspiration to continue writing. :D I hope you enjoy. And yeah, Thanks for telling me that kunoichi means a female ninja. I can't believe I used it on Naruto. Hahaha. I edited it already.**

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**So it's true?**

Naruto was running, he let his feet do the work for him. The sun was shining brightly on his confused face. He didn't care at the moment. He just needed to get to his destination. He was still having a debate with himself whether or not he actually heard the girls at the market right. His mind was far off. He needed to confirm it for himself before he could truly rest... He needed to talk to Tsunade.

He knew that she was still trying to recover from the whole incident. She was working nonstop, all the paperwork she had to fill out was now her main problem. Tsunade was just glad the worst was over.

"Tsunade," Shizune opened the door. "Naruto wishes to speak with you."

Tsunade's head shot up as Naruto entered without waiting for an answer. Shizune closed the door and left the two to talk.

Tsunade looked completely tired, and the pile of papers on her table explained it to Naruto. They just stayed there for a while. Naruto honestly didn't know what to say. He never really thought of it on the way there. A common habit he had.

Tsunade couldn't tolerate the silence any longer and decided to speak up. "Naruto. What brings you here?" she wore a small tired smile.

Naruto's emotions stirred. But his face was showing no emotion. "Hinata." He said, going straight to the point.

Tsunade's smile dropped. Her face turned seriously cold and hard. She leaned back on her chair and looked at the ninja in front of her with her eyes, looking for any sign of emotion. "How did you find out?"

"So it's true?" he stated blankly. "Hinata is no longer the heiress?"

Tsunade shook her head sadly. "Sad to say, but it's true, Naruto."

Tsunade watched as a wave of guilt passed over him. He wore a small, sad, almost undetectable, frown on his lips. His blue eyes lost the spark that it usually had. "Is there anything we can do about it?"

She shrugged. "The Hyuuga clan is one of the most powerful clans here in Kohona. If that is their decision; there is nothing we can do about it." Tsunade noticed the slight anger that took over Naruto and she sighed. "I tried doing something Naruto. Trust me, I tried. But the clan is just way too powerful to persuade."

"Hinata doesn't deserve this. She does not deserve any of this" Naruto said with anger and guilt seeping out.

"I know Naruto." Tsunade agreed with a mumble. "Hinata is strong, but the Hyuugas have too much pride to admit it."

Naruto clenched his fists tightly. The silence of the room was quickly disrupted when Naruto's anger rose. "There has to be something we can do!"

Tsunade stood up and stared at Naruto for what seemed like the longest time. "I talked to Hiashi earlier today. The Caged Bird Seal has been placed on Hinata already. The papers are done. Hanabi will be replacing her. Naruto, there is nothing I can do about this anymore." Her voice was loud and seemed fragile.

Her eyes showed regret and sadness. She felt weak, even as the hokage, because she couldn't save the innocent girl. Naruto looked away sharply. He didn't know that they placed the Seal on her. It was devastating for him to hear. He couldn't stand being in this position. He desperately wanted to help Hinata. But he knew there was no possible way he could do that.

He remembered what that Seal was. The image of that seal during the fight with Neji remained in his head. He remembered the sad, cruel story behind it. He couldn't imagine Hinata going through that burden. They had her in the palm of their hands. Instant death was easy to achieve. And the fact that her father thought her weak was not helping the situation, only making it worse.

Naruto looked at Tsunade who did nothing put stand behind her desk, observing Naruto's reactions.

"I'm sorry Naruto." She stated sadly. "But no matter how much you want to change things, there are some things that are just out of our hands." Her eyes grew duller when remembering Hinata. She could not imagine her under such punishment either. "Hinata accepted her fate."

He wanted to protest, but he could not see any hope. He knew Hinata was only agreeing to it because she grew up obeying every word they said to her. He could tell that even if she would smile, something was bothering her deep inside. Another burden like this will only shatter the remaining confidence she had in herself. He didn't want that. He knew how hard Hinata tries. He didn't want to see all her struggles go to waste.

"Naruto. I need you to promise me not to interfere with the Hyuuga clan's decision, you understand?" Tsunade said with as much authority as she could muster. She knew that Naruto would stop at nothing to help Hinata. But she knew that it would only complicate things for the shy Hyuuga.

Naruto looked up and faced Tsunade with dull, almost colorless eyes. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wanted to refuse. He wanted to fight for Hinata, just like she did for him. But instead, he simply nodded, and left the building sadly, leaving a confused Hokage.

Tsunade stared at the door, unsure of what has just happened. '_He didn't even bother arguing?'_

* * *

Naruto stepped outside the building. It was raining. The sun that was burning him was no longer there. Instead, it was replaced with cold harsh sharp and painful raindrops. But he didn't care. He was too depressed to care.

This wasn't like Naruto. This ninja was not the type to easily give up. But he did not want to cause any trouble concerning Hinata. Not when she is in a position like that. And he knew that Tsunade didn't want to talk about it as much as he did. Besides, there was nothing he could do. The Hyuugas were none of his business.

The streets of Konoha were empty. But he just continued walking. He was completely soaked, but he didn't mind. The rain was his only friend before all his friends came along, so he didn't mind having a reunion with it.

Then he saw a familiar pink umbrella coming his way. It was Sakura. Her pink hair swayed as she walked. She had a basket filled with fruits in one hand. She must have come from the grocery. She saw Naruto and her eyes checked twice before confirming that it was, in fact, the blond hero of the village.

"Naruto!" she said practically skipping his way. "Naruto, I told you a million times already not to get yourself wet in the rain!"

Naruto let a small smile rest on his lips upon seeing the pink haired girl. Sakura sighed and raised her umbrella so that she'd be protecting Naruto and herself from the rain.

They started walking quietly, in an unknown direction. "Are you okay Naruto? You seem awfully quiet." Sakura bit her lip, trying to recall if she did anything to upset the blond.

Naruto shook his head, trying to fake his way through. "I'm fine Sakura. I was just thinking about stuff."

She nodded, not wanting to push him any further. There was obviously something bothering him, she could see it in his eyes. She didn't want to question him about it even if she normally would have, just because it seemed like a big topic. She had no idea what he was thinking about. But she couldn't stand seeing Naruto down. He was like a brother she never had. "Come on Naruto, want to get some ramen? My treat?" She said excitedly, trying to cheer up the ninja. Ramen was the only thing she knew that never failed.

But instead of a successful cheer-up plan. It backfired.

"No thanks, Sakura-chan. Maybe next time okay?" he said nonchalantly as he walked from under the protection of the umbrella and towards his apartment. He smiled at Sakura for one last time before facing the other way, completely ignoring her. To be honest, he wanted to be alone for now.

Sakura nearly dropped her basket. Her mind had a hard time comprehending what was happening. '_He just said "no." to ramen?'_


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata walked down the street, her raven hair trailing behind her with such grace that only she could accomplish. Her eyes were soft and shy, like they always were, but there was something else in there. There was a hint of sadness. Because, hidden behind the hair covering her forehead, was the new mark she would be wearing for the rest of her life. The Caged Bird Seal.

People looked at Hinata as she went for her daily stroll around the village. They murmured and whispered as she passed them. Many knew about her fate. Many took pity for her, but some just shrugged it off, saying that it was what the girl deserved.

Hinata looked down on the ground. She hated the attention. She was never used to it. The eyes of the villagers never felt her when she passed by them. She shivered slightly.

She heard a lot of things. They all thought they were whispering quietly enough, but they weren't.

She took note of every comment they gave her. All of them slowly breaking her.

"Poor child."

Someone scoffed. "Serves her right. That spoiled Hyuuga brat."

"That's Hinata Hyuuga right?"

"This is just too cruel to do someone as sweet as her."

"She never deserved to be the heir anyway."

That last comment made her bite her lip. She was forcing back tears. She promised herself she would not cry. She needed to be stronger. Being weak did nothing for her.

Any moment now, she would break. She could feel the emotional pain already. Did everyone know? Did everyone know of her cruel fate? Those were some of the thoughts running through her head. She was trying to shrug off all the negatives comments she received, but she couldn't. It was too hard. She breathed heavily, doing her best to calm herself down.

"The clan would be better off without her."

She snapped. The attempts on keeping back the tears failed. Hinata ran when she heard this. She didn't care where her feet brought her. As long as it wasn't there. Tears were streaming down her face. She didn't bother trying to hold back the tears anymore. Why were they being so cruel?

People watched the retreating figure, ignoring her afterwards. The villagers went back to do their own businesses, not knowing their words broke her.

It started raining. Hinata didn't mind. She enjoyed the company it brought her. The way the rain comforted her whenever she was sad. The way it would hide her tears. The way it would tap her shoulder, telling her that it was just there for her. And the way it had its own rhythm. It was simply amazing.

Then she stopped at the old training grounds. She couldn't help but smile through the tears. Memories started flowing back. She remembered the time Naruto passed by, just before his match with her cousin, Neji. He managed to boost her self-confidence. Then she frowned again upon remembering the blond. She wanted to blame him for everything that was happening in her life, but she couldn't. It was her fault. It was her that fell in love, not him. A sudden wave of depression passed her when she realized how stupid she was. She confessed to Naruto, knowing that he had no feelings for her whatsoever. It was causing nothing but trouble. She wondered what Naruto thought about it.

Now that she thought about it, she hasn't seen Naruto since her confession. Maybe it was due to the fact that Naruto was helping with the reconstruction of the village, and Hinata was helping Sakura, so they never crossed paths. But she couldn't help but have thoughts. Was he avoiding her?

She shook her head. No way. Naruto isn't the type who would do that. Right? Maybe he thought of her a weak too… Just like everybody else. She was just confusing him. She was causing him trouble. She was just being a burden to him. At least, that's what she thought.

She started sobbing again. She leaned against one of the training posts, with her legs folded, to cover her face. She just hoped no one would notice her. Because she hated the attention.

She suddenly whispered to herself. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I'm sorry Father. I'm sorry I'm weak. "

* * *

Naruto continued walking; he didn't feel like heading to his apartment just yet. He still wanted to wander around in the rain. Maybe it will get his mind off of Hinata. But even he knew that wouldn't help.

He walked, not sure where he was going. His feet were taking him to a certain area. The old training grounds. With his hands behind his head, and head facing the raining sky, he was content.

Then Naruto stopped on his tracks when he heard light, painful sobbings.

He took a peek from behind a tree and saw the midnight hair he was just thinking about.

"She's crying…" Naruto whispered to himself. A frown rested on his face as he watched her. He couldn't just stand there.

He suddenly ignored the fact that he would be risking a lot of things. He ignored the fact that she was the Hyuuga clan's disappointment. He ignored the fact that he might just fall in love with her. He ignored the fact that he was not sure of his feelings. Because he was sure of one thing, and one thing alone. Hinata was one of his precious people. Hinata was his friend. And he did not want anything to upset her. He was going to risk it all. Just to make her smile again.

He cautiously walked up to her, scared that he might frighten her.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun. I'm sorry father. I'm sorry I'm weak." Her voice was muffled by the sound of the raindrops, but Naruto heard it.

He froze. Hinata was apologizing for something she didn't need to be sorry for. Then a sympathetic smile was on his face. Naruto sat down in front of her. "You don't need to be sorry for anything Hinata…"

Hinata's head shot up, and her eyes met dazzling blue ones. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, but her tears blended well with the rain. "N-Naruto-kun." She stuttered in between sobs. She quickly stood up, embarrassed. She didn't want him to see her like this. Not while she was crying.

Naruto stood up as well, afraid that Hinata would run. And she did have thoughts about doing that. But then she thought that doing so would just make her seem weaker. She didn't want to run from Naruto. Instead, she looked down, avoiding any kind of eye contact. Hoping that he would not notice her tears.

"Don't cry Hinata." Naruto said, reaching out to touch her arm, afraid that she might fall apart from his touch. She was just too fragile.

Hinata shivered when Naruto's hand came in contact with her arm. She watched as water ran from his hair down his face. The way his hair would stick to his forehead. The way he just stood there, being the Naruto he was.

Naruto watched her intently. When he saw the pain and sadness in her eyes, he couldn't help but pull her into a hug.

The sudden warmth surprised Hinata, but she enjoyed it. Not because it was Naruto, but because it made her feel like she was cared for.

She then relaxed a bit and started crying on his chest. Hinata would have fainted normally, but depression was taking over her.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I'm sorry for everything." He voice was muffled. Her head was still resting on Naruto's chest.

"Don't be sorry Hinata…" he felt sorry for the girl. It seemed like the world was breaking her down. "You did nothing wrong."

Hinata broke away slowly from the hug. She looked up and watched his blue eyes search hers. Then something caught Naruto's attention.

Hinata's hair was soaked. But he saw, peeking through her bangs, the mark.

Hinata closed her eyes tight. She did not want to see the look on Naruto's face. She suddenly felt warmth on her forehead. Naruto pushed her bangs aside, and took a good look on the mark that carefully placed itself on her forehead. He then frowned.

"Why did they do this to you?" he said, mostly to himself.

"B-because I was too w-weak." She mumbled, tears slowly spilling out of her eyes again. "T-they said it was for the b-best. F-for the clan…" she looked down again, so Naruto would not see her new curse.

Naruto stiffened. "I will do something Hinata. I promise." Hinata looked up at Naruto. "Believe it." He said with a soft melody to his voice.

"N-no Naruto-kun." She tried convincing him. "Don't… I am causing you nothing but trouble. I-I'm sorry."

Naruto smiled a bit. "You know? You say sorry way too much…"

"I-I'm sorry." She mumbled shyly.

Naruto chuckled.

"They should be the ones sorry." He said, with a determined fire in his eyes. His eyes suddenly sparked again for what seemed like a really long time. "I will save you Hinata. I will make you smile again."


	4. Chapter 4

_**And He fell.**_

Naruto stared at Hinata for what seemed like the longest time. Hinata stared back, still dumbfounded by what he told her. After a few seconds, Hinata realized that she had been staring and looked down, crimson red blush on her cheeks. Hopefully, Naruto would not see it through the rain.

Hinata was surprised, amazed, and shocked. She didn't know how to react. Did Naruto like her back? That's why he is willing to make her smile again? A little spark of hope ignited in her heart. Then she frowned slightly upon remembering that Naruto would always do this for his friends. What made her special?

Naruto noticed the sudden change in Hinata's emotions. He opened his mouth to tell her something. Then he lost his words when Hinata looked up again. Her eyes were still sparkling from tears, but she stopped crying. A small smile rested on her lips, and they made her look so much brighter. The rained poured down her pale skin, making it shine. And a gentle embarrassed blush on her cheeks made him smile. Naruto never noticed Hinata like this before. Hinata was beautiful.

Hinata saw that Naruto noticed her sadness; she tried to cover it up with fake joy. "Thank you, Naruto-kun." Her smile widened, interrupting his train of thought.

Naruto looked pass her mask. Even when she smiled, he knew that something deep inside the girl was stirring. She was still in so much pain. She felt like an outcast. And Naruto knew how that felt.

"No problem, Hinata." He said softly, amused by the reaction of the kunoichi.

A few moments, awkward silence surrounded them. "Uh… Hinata?" Naruto had his hand behind his neck. He suddenly felt himself blushing.

"H-hai?" Hinata stared at him.

"Just remember I'm always there for you, okay?" He gave her a reassuring smile, which brought another blush to her cheeks. "You can always run to me when you need to."

"H-Hai," She bowed respectfully at the savior of the village, and her long time crush. "N-Naruto-kun."

He chuckled lightly at how formal she was. But it always did amuse her, the way she acted.

It was awkward, how no one had wanted to move to the protection of the nearby trees. They both chose to stay there, under the pouring rain, with silence by their side. Then again, they had their reasons. They both felt safe there. They were looking for words to say, but the rain distracted them.

Then Naruto thought deeply again, he glanced at Hinata, and thought to himself how the Hyuugas would be so clueless and blind about her abilities. Hinata was strong, he knew that. He was there when Hinata fought Pein when he couldn't. He saw how much Hinata has improved. Why hadn't they?

Hinata looked at Naruto, confused at his sudden silence. But she did not want to interrupt him. She had no right to do so. Who was she to do that? So, Hinata took this time to think as well…

She was happy to be able to see Naruto again after quite some time, but something inside her stirred. She tried to get signs of him remembering her confession. But she did not sense any. She could not feel Naruto's acknowledgement about it. Was he just trying to forget about it, for the sake of their friendship? Or had he forgotten it? She was hoping for the later.

Naruto looked at Hinata intently, before making up his mind. He was going to do it. He was going to talk to her about the confession. He could not get it off her mind. A sudden guilty feeling passed him. He was not sure for his feelings for her. Never in his life has he thought of Hinata in any romantic perspective. But he couldn't just leave the topic unspoken. What was he going to do now?

Of course, he was going to do what he was known to do… Wing it. He took a deep breath, ready for whatever was going to happen. "Hinata, can I talk to you about someth—"

"Hinata!" cried out a voice from a distance.

Naruto and Hinata turned their heads to see a running Neji. He had a black umbrella on one hand, protecting him from the rain, while he held an unopened umbrella in the other.

'_Damn it.'_ Naruto winced at the sudden interruption.

"Hinata." Neji repeated, with relief as he saw the raven haired girl in sight. "Hinata, Please do not run off like that again." He said with a certain authority in his voice.

"I'm sorry, N-Neji-san." She said shyly.

Neji took a good look at the soaking girl. He raised an eyebrow, quite confused on why Hinata did not bring an umbrella. She always did.

Neji noticed Naruto and bowed respectfully to him. Neji bowed half-heartedly, as if he was obligated to do so. "I am sorry for the interruption Naruto, but Hinata is needed immediately."

Naruto nodded, understanding.

Neji and Naruto glared at each other for a short moment. Naruto could see the mark on his forehead, and saw that he was still angry at the Main Branch... It was obvious in his eyes. Even if it was obvious that Neji cared deeply for the former heir of the Hyuuga, he still held a silent grudge against her. But he showed nothing.

Neji looked at Naruto with surprise. Naruto had proven himself when he saved the village from Pein with so much bravery and skill. He was impressed, honestly. Because, never in his life did he expect Naruto to shine, especially during their darkest moment. He could see why Hinata respected him so much. But he still did not approve of her "idolization."

Neji then turned back to Hinata and handed her the unopened umbrella, without saying anything. Not even _showing_ that he was concerned for the girl's health. Naruto could not believe the way he was treating her. All the times he saw Neji take care of Hinata, make her smile, and make sure she was okay… Were they all just because it was his duty? Naruto wondered. But Hinata showed no emotion, she knew she was not going to be treated with respect anymore by anyone in her clan. She was the black sheep in the family. She needed to get used to it.

Hinata opened her umbrella and covered herself, which seemed useless because she was dripping wet from head to toe.

"Thank you Neji-san." She said, with a certain fear in her voice.

Neji nodded slightly. There was something weird with the aura around them now. They felt like they were being watched.

Naruto noticed this and silently watched the two exchange silent messages. Naruto felt slightly left out, but he thought that he would merely be interrupting the two if he spoke up.

Hinata then turned to Naruto and bowed to him with so much respect. "T-Thank you for your time, Naruto-kun." He could sense a small smile on her face. "I really appreciated it." She sounded like she was in a hurry, perhaps she is needed for something important indeed.

It took Naruto a while to respond. Then he smiled, quite unwilling to let Hinata leave just yet. But the look on Neji's face refused him from taking her away from her duties. "Don't mention it, Hinata-chan."

Hinata felt a sudden jolt of happiness upon hearing Naruto say "-chan" after her name. But she did not show it, with Neji standing right beside her, watching her every move.

Oh, how Neji was interfering with their emotions…

"Let us go Hinata." The white eyed shinobi said, completely unmoved by everything happening before him.

"B-But… We can't just leave N-Naruto-kun here." Her eyes tried speaking to her cousin, but he still showed no emotion. "H-He's soaking wet."

Neji was going to reply, but Naruto beat him to it. "It's fine. I can handle it…" he smiled, showing Hinata that she didn't need to worry about him. "Besides, you really probably need to get going now."

Neji nodded, agreeing with Naruto.

Hinata sighed quietly to herself, "H-hai."

Neji started walking towards the compound, ignoring Naruto completely. "Come now Hinata, we need to arrange the ceremony."

This ceremony was for Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister. This ceremony was for her to officially be named as the heir of the Hyuuga clan Legacy. And even if it pained Hinata, because the ceremony was a reminder of her weakness, she had no choice, as a branch member, but to help.

"O-okay, Neji-san." She looked at Naruto for one last time. He smiled at her, trying to remind her that he would always be there for her. And she smiled back, remembering his promise. Then she swiftly searched his eyes, and quickly saw a flash of regret. And as she broke her gaze from the shinobi, she could only wonder why he felt that way. Then she ran, catching up with her cousin.

* * *

Neji moved next to Hinata and whispered something to her, aware that they were being watched. "I'm sorry for my behavior earlier Hinata-sama." He sighed. "I was ordered by the elders not to show kindness. And I had a feeling they sent a jounin to watch us."

Hinata let a small smile rest on her face. "It's fine, Neji-san. I understand." She replied, feeling the eyes of a spy on her.

Neji smiled.

Yes, the two cousins were very much in good terms. In fact, Neji was the only one who did not think lowly of her after the incident. In fact, he has seen the improvement in her. He saw that she had a lot of potential, and he wanted to help her. Because, no matter what happened now, he was going to be there to protect her. Not because of duty… But because he chose to.

* * *

Naruto arrived at his apartment moments later, he then removed his soaked clothes and took a long relaxing hot shower. Still not getting Hinata off his head.

He could not think of any other thing. He just kept on thinking about the sad kunoichi with hair like midnight and eyes like pearls. And he felt regret, because he did not manage to tell her how he felt. Because as she was about to leave, he realized something...

He realized he didn't want to leave her.

"_Because… I love you."_

He smiled again, upon remembering those words.

Because, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He fell for the Caged Heart, that is, Hyuuga, Hinata.

* * *

**Okay everyone. I'm sorry if I'm not doing the best I can do, because I have school and all that, so I might not be focusing on this as must as I want to. Thank you everyone for all your reviews, it is what keeps me writing… You guys are the best**

**There are 4 more chapters until this story ends. **

**What will happen when Hinata reaches her home? Will Naruto tell her how he feels? Will Hanabi **_**really **_**be the heir? Will Naruto keep his promise? Will Hiashi finally realize how stupid he is? And wait, why's Hinata going over to Kiba's place? Find out next time. Believe it!**

**Next Chapter: Kiba's Brotherly Help**


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata and Neji quietly walked home. No one said a word as the sound of the rain echoed through the village streets. They wanted to talk. Really, they did. Neji wanted to comfort his cousin from all the pain. Because, he has been through all of those, and Hinata was always there for him, whether he shunned her or not. He wanted to return the favor. But the ninja watching them from the trees in the distance, made it difficult.

After a few minutes of walking, and sensing that the ninja still did not leave them alone, probably not yet satisfied with Neji's behavior, Neji needed to act, fast.

Neji looked at Hinata slowly and she looked back, confusion in her eyes. He gave her an apologetic look, and she seemed to know where this conversation was going.

"Hinata." Neji said, loudly, in hopes to catch the hidden ninja's attention. And it did. "You should be ashamed of yourself. You have been nothing but a nuisance to Naruto, and everyone around you." He scoffed fakely. "You are weak…"

Hinata felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart. She knew Neji was only saying those words to fool the spy, but it still hurt. Once again. Neji gave Hinata an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Neji-san." She said, loudly, but still softly.

Then silence followed them once again. The streets were wet from the nonstop rain. The trees nearby swayed with the wind. And the compound was still nowhere in sight. They both still had a long way to walk. The ninja seemed content with Neji's words and left them alone.

Hinata let out a sigh of relief, as if she was not breathing properly the whole time. Once Neji felt safe, he turned to Hinata.

"I'm sorry Hinata-sama. I did not mean to hurt your feelings." There was regret in his eyes. The way he said his sorry… He was not lying to her one bit.

She nodded, showing him that he was forgiven.

"Hinata-sama—"

Hinata cut him off with a gentle, almost laughing smile. "There is no more need to call me 'Hinata-sama', Neji-san." She looked at his confused face and smiled a little more.

Neji let out a low chuckle as he watched the smiling girl. "It is my choice…" he looked at her, hoping for any change in reaction. "And I consider you more honorable than me…"

Hinata stopped walking. Neji watched her as she was trying to get the information through her head. She then started shaking her head in protest. "No, Neji-san…" she looked at him with a certain flame in her eyes. A flame that made her look...Confident. "We are equals now…"

Equals… The word that Neji has been longing to hear from his childhood. The word that Neji never thought he'd hear in his entire life, as a caged bird. But there Hinata was, saying the word with a gentle flow, with no hesitation at all.

Neji just chuckled again, and repeated the word in his head…_ 'Equals.'_

Then they started walking once again towards the compound, where they both knew they would not feel the sense of freedom they felt.

Once they reached the Hyuuga residence, a shiver went down both their spines as they sensed the dark aura the house gave off.

Hinata looked up the whole house, as if seeing it for the first time. She gulped.

Neji noticed her distress and patted her soaked back. "Don't worry Hinata-sama."

She sighed. Neji sighed as well before sliding open the doors of the compound.

Everyone was busy setting up for the ceremony, but all the eyes of the people in the main lobby fell upon the dripping wet Hinata when the opening of the doors was heard. She bowed down and blushed out of embarrassment.

The Hyuuga members then ignored her and continued with their work. They would usually bow back to her and greet her with smiles… But things were different now.

It was a humble home, yet its simplicity emphasized the family's power and strengths. The colors were not at all striking. In fact, it seemed like the home did not want to be noticed by anyone… Yet, it still attracted some amazed eyes. And this was similar to Hinata. She was simple, yet her aura glowed and made people instantly like her. Her kindness would make others want to be like her. Her grace would make people want to know her. She always left everyone speechless. She had that kind of effect on everyone… Everyone but her own family.

Hinata stood up straight from her bowing and observed everything happening around her.

The furnitures were already rearranged for the upcoming ceremony tomorrow for Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi Hyuuga.

Hinata was never really close to her sister. But they always had this kind of silent respect for each other. But neither of them would ever admit that. Because Hanabi was the opposite of Hinata in terms of personality. When Hinata would stay in the background, Hanabi would go and shine in the center of the whole occasion. When Hinata would stutter one word, Hanabi would've said an entire speech. Yes, they were the opposite sisters. But they respected each other equally.

Neji brought Hinata to her room and told her to dry herself off and change into something more comfortable.

She nodded and did as told.

* * *

After helping around with the preparations, Hinata went to sleep. Well, tried to at least. After tossing and turning in her bed, she just couldn't. Too many thoughts were in her head. She glanced at the small clock resting lazily on her wall. 3:00 am. She let out a sigh and sat up. She knew that wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon. She stood up lazily and changed her clothes. She yawned. After changing, she opened the lights and glanced at herself in the small mirror. There were bags under her eyes, her hair was a mess and yes, the mark on her forehead still remained.

She tried to smile at the morning like she always did, but she couldn't. That mirror reflected the pain the girl was feeling. And she needed to get it off her chest.

And she only knew one person for the job. The one person who she always talked to. The one who always listened. Kiba Inuzuka. It was probably selfish of her to do so, but he offered to help her if she needed someone to talk to, anytime of the day. And I don't think 3:00 am will be an objection to his offer… So she confirmed it. She's going to Kiba's house.

Hinata slowly crept out of the house. She has done this more than a few times. She knew her way out. But that fear of getting caught never left her.

And once her foot stepped out of the Hyuuga grounds, she sighed out of relief.

The moon refused to shine that evening, as Hinata noticed. But the night was still as wonderful as she remembered it.

She walked towards the Inuzuka residence, her mind still wandering to a far off land. The rain had stopped. The street lights made the ground shine with a glow due to the rain. She smiled slightly. The village sure was quiet.

When she reached Kiba's house. She stared at the wooden door. She shook her head. What was she thinking? He was sleeping now. She was probably going to be a nuisance once again. Her thoughts were racing. Why did she do this? Kiba is probably just going to ignore her and go back to sleep. She might just wake him up for no reason. She might just be causing trouble. She paced in front of the door, fearing to knock. She was about to turn around and go back home.

But the door swung open. Kiba stood there, eyes wide open. Obviously shocked to see Hinata outside his house. Kiba's hair was a mess, obviously just getting out of bed. And he was in his dog print pajamas…

"K-K-Kiba-kun!" Hinata stuttered out of shock.

"Hey Hinata…" he smiled goofily at his teammate. "What bring you here at 3 am?"

"How'd you know I was o-outside?" she said, with a small embarrassed blush on her face.

Kiba smiled got even bigger. "The scent of lavender of course. I could sense you from a mile away." He gestured her to come inside. "Couldn't sleep too huh?"

Hinata nodded shyly and entered his home. It was simple. His house was always a mess but it was always so warm and welcoming. Akamaru was even sleeping on the other couch as she could see.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Kiba-kun."

"It's fine… I couldn't sleep either…" he looked at Hinata and smiled. He noticed how strong she has become, and how much confidence she had gotten. He was lucky to have her on the team.

"So, how have you been Hinata? I haven't seen you in a while." Kiba said while closing the door. He didn't mind Hinata coming over at this time of the day. He actually enjoyed her company, even if it was at the most inconvenient times.

Hinata looked down on the floor, suddenly filled with sadness. And then Kiba realized his foolishness and quickly regretted saying those words. He knew what Hinata went through. He knew about the Caged Bird Seal. Heck, the whole village knew.

He scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Hinata…" he said softly.

Hinata nodded, trying to keep herself from crying. "You didn't know, Kiba-kun."

They walked to the living room and Kiba offered Hinata to sit down.

Yes, the room was a mess, there were scattered magazines everywhere. Some of Kiba's clothes were still lying around, and there were empty bowls on the coffee table. But Hinata didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed it. Because this was reality… Unlike her "perfect home", this home reminded her that she was human and she can act like one too… Not only always the perfect Hyuuga doll…

"Anything you wanna talk about Hinata?" he said, trying his best to smile.

Hinata said nothing, but instead, she lifted the hair off her forehead, showing Kiba the new mark.

Kiba tried smiling again, in hopes of releasing the tension in the room. "It doesn't look that bad Hinata!" he exclaimed. "It's like a kick-ass tattoo!"

Hinata smiled a bit, acknowledging his attempts in cheering her up. But she quickly frowned again.

"Come on Hinata!" he said, sitting next to her. "Don't think about it."

He poked the center of her mark. "This, Hinata, my dear old friend, is just the proof of how jealous the clan is of you."

Hinata smiled. Kiba always knew how to make her smile, even in times like this. Even at 3 in the morning. "But, Kiba-kun… I was weak. T-that is why they gave this to me."

"So, this is why you came over, huh? You wanted to get this off your chest?" he said with kindness in his eyes and a gentle warm, inviting smile.

Hinata nodded, feeling embarrassed for disturbing him for such selfish needs. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun…"

"You say sorry too much, you know that, Hinata?"

Hinata blushed a deep shade of red upon remembering her little scene with Naruto. She hasn't thought about it yet. Only now did it sink through her head that Naruto talked to her, acknowledged her and was there for her. And Naruto too, mentioned her excessive use of the word, "sorry".

Kiba then smirked. "I know that blush!" he said, nearly jumping off the couch. "You finally talked to Naruto didn't you?"

Hinata blushed even deeper, and started fidgeting with her fingers. Which only made Kiba smirk even more. "That's not what I came to talk about Kiba-Kun!" Hinata said while throwing a pillow on his face. Her face, still red from embarrassment.

"Oi. You throw hard." Kiba said, smiling as he ignored the pain. "Fine, fine, fine. I won't mention your precious _Naruto-kun_."

"K-Kiba-kun!" She said, slapping his right arm multiple times.

"Kidding! Kidding!" He laughed. He was rubbing his sore arm. '_She really has gotten strong.'_

Hinata and Kiba were like siblings. Kiba was the older brother Hinata never had. And Hinata was the younger sister Kiba never had as well. And they liked it that way.

"Well, just remember Hinata… No matter what happens, you have the best of friends who will help you through your tough times…" He hesitated. "And Naruto too…"

"Kiba-kun!" she blushed again.

He laughed. "Why don't you stay for breakfast, Hinata…"

* * *

**Not my best chapter, but don't worry, I will do my best to make sure this story will be enjoyable to you all. Thank you for all the support.**


	6. Chapter 6

Now it was 6 am. Hinata and Kiba talked for what seemed like hours… Just goofing off and laughing. Kiba always knew how to make Hinata forget the real world… And Hinata couldn't help but smile. Because for those short hours, she was normal. She was like every other girl in the village. She was not the Hyuuga clan's disappointment. She was not the girl who everyone looked down on. She was Hinata Hyuuga…

After placing themselves on the couch, Kiba turned to Hinata and smiled like a goof, a small happy spark in his eyes.

"N-Nani?" Hinata stuttered, surprised by Kiba's sudden change of emotion. Her eyes scanned his face, hoping the reason will suddenly appear.

Kiba shrugged, still smiling. "Nothing Hinata." He said, watching the girl. "It's just that… Your clan is really_ really_ stupid…."

Hinata threw another pillow to his face, this time, lightly, just to catch his attention. "D-don't say that Kiba-kun…" she mumbled, fidgeting with the loose strands of her hair…

Kiba just smiled softly. Even after everything her clan put her through. She still respected them. She could never hold a grudge. She still stood strong no matter how hard they nailed her self-esteem down. It was simply amazing how she can do that.

"Fine, Hinata…" he finally said. He looked at the clock and wasn't surprised at the time. "Hmm. It's 6 already."

Hinata glanced at the clock with a shocked expression on her face. "You must be tired Kiba…" she glanced at him but he said nothing. "I'm sorry for keeping you up…"

He shrugged, with a playful grin on his tired face. "No problem Hinata… I don't mind. Really."

But Hinata eyes showed him that she was still sorry.

The room grew quite again. The sound of the morning birds chirping was amplified tenfold. And Hinata would have been nervous in a silence like this. But she wasn't this time. It was a comfortable silence.

But there was something in the air that made her feel a bit of the tension. The fact that the seal was on her. Would it make her seem weaker to her teammates? What would Shino think? Does Kiba see her differently now? The thoughts running through her head did not stop… Even after hours of Kiba's company.

Kiba looked at Hinata and watched her eyes go deep into thinking. A common habit Hinata possessed. Kiba knew what she was thinking about. He has known her for years. Of course he knew how her head worked.

"Hinata?"

"What, Kiba-kun?" she asked with her usual shy soft voice, her head, still in thinking mode.

"Don't think that that new tattoo will change anything…" he flashed her a toothy grin. Hinata blinked blankly, unsure of what he meant. "Shino and I will still accept you no matter what…"

Hinata did not reply. So he continued talking. "So what if you're a Branch member now? Your clan doesn't know the real power you have… It's their lost. And I should know. I've been training with you for years. I know what you are capable of. They don't."

Hinata smiled. Which made Kiba smirk. "We are a team Hinata… No matter what." He chuckled. "And if Shino was here, he'd be giving you a long-ass lecture on how that seal doesn't mean a damn thing."

Hinata couldn't help but giggle. It did seem likely that Shino would give her a speech concerning the topic. But Shino wasn't there in the village of Konoha. He was out on a mission with other members of his clan.

Kiba watched Hinata giggle. "Now that… That's the Hinata _I_ know. Shy, but bubbly at the same time."

Hinata smiled gratefully. The smile slightly brightening the messy room. Kiba could have sworn he saw a sudden flash of determination in her eyes, as if she was suddenly filled with hope by his kind words. But Kiba chose to ignore it; Hinata always had that in her eyes before. It was merely dimmed by the actions of her clan.

Then Kiba stood up and stretched. "Well… Want to go get some breakfast now?" he asked slowly, not completely sure if Hinata was willing to go through the village again after her incident yesterday.

Hinata nodded and stood up. Feeling somehow, relaxed.

Kiba was lazily about to walk out of the door, but Hinata's words made him stop. "K-Kiba-kun!"

"What, Hinata? I'm starving." He said, turning to face the girl who still stood in the middle of his living room.

She blushed slightly, pointing at his attire. "Y-You're still in your pajamas…"

Kiba turned a light shade of red, matching Hinata's. "R-right. Thanks for reminding me."

And with that, he ran up to his room to get changed.

* * *

Luckily, Akamaru woke up before they left, so he tagged along as well. And they walked around the village. Not many people were awake yet. But Konoha was already up and running.

Eyes were staring at Hinata and she felt the pang of painful embarrassment again. They all mumbled rumors and gossips about her. She looked down on the ground and bit her lip. She remembered the incident yesterday, and she didn't want history to repeat itself. She was going to be stronger today. For the sake of Kiba and Akamaru. She didn't want to cause them trouble by crying or running off.

Kiba noticed Hinata and turned to face her. "They're just jealous Hinata…" Hinata looked up at him, confusion in her pale eyes. "Because they will never be as kick-ass as you!" Kiba jumped enthusiastically.

Akamaru barked in agreement. Hinata let a small smile creep onto her face. She silently thanked him. Perhaps she will survive today's stroll around the village. Thanks to Kiba-kun.

In the distance, they could see Ichiraku's. Kiba then grabbed Hinata by the wrist and pulled her to the village-famous stall. Who knew they opened this early in the morning?

"Why here Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked, quite confused.

"Why not?" Kiba said, with a shrug. "I'm craving for some ramen…"

Hinata nodded. And there they had ramen for breakfast.

* * *

After their breakfast, Hinata faced her teammate shyly.

"Thank you so much for everything, Kiba-kun." She mumbled, blushing out of embarrassment.

"Don't mention it Hinata." Kiba tried to say, failing for he had a mouthful of ramen. "We are teammates after all."

"B-But I must get g-going now… I need to prepare for the ceremony." There was a hint of pure sadness in her eyes when she said it. And Kiba noticed it. But decide not to bring the topic up when he saw how much it hurt her.

"Bye Hinata…" He said as Hinata stood up.

She smiled at him with gratitude in her eyes. She looked peaceful, yet sad at the same time. The first time she has felt like that in days. "Bye Kiba-kun." Then she spun on her heel and walked towards the compound.

Kiba just watched her leave. Her back turned to him. Her raven hair swaying in the wind with a rhythm only Hinata knew the melody to. And Kiba just smirked, then petted Akamaru. _'Naruto, you better take care of her or you're dead.'_

* * *

Hinata opened the doors of the compound with ease, momentarily forgetting the cold eyes and stares from the Hyuuga members.

But then her mind remembered everything suddenly when Hiashi's cold voice echoed through the main hall.

"Hinata… Where have you been?" Hiashi's stare brought her down. It was as if he was testing the limits she had. It was as if he was trying to break her down with his glare and it was working. His eyes showed nothing but pure disappointment.

He stood, towering over the young girl. Hinata bowed swiftly. "F-Father… I w-went for a walk."

His gaze turned even deadlier. If Hinata was looking at him, she would've froze then and there. "At 3 in the morning…?"

Hinata gulped. Her father knew. Hinata started sweating, still not sure what to reply. She straightened herself and looked at her father's eyes, and felt weak at the knees. "Father I—"

He raised his hand to silence her. "I don't want to hear of it any further…" he scoffed, which sent shivers up the kunoichi's spine. "You must be getting ready for the ceremony later tonight… I expect nothing but perfection." And with that said, he walked away, taking his dark gloomy aura with him.

Hinata sighed, defeated. She wanted her father's respect._ What am I going to do?_ Hinata wondered.

* * *

Naruto woke up around 9 that morning. He yawned and stretched like he always did. And he made his way into his apartment's kitchen, when something caught his blue eyes. There was a small envelop on the floor in front of the door. Curiously, he approached it and lazily picked it up.

"Huh?" he turned the envelop over and rubbed his eyes to read the fragile golden lettering on it.

_To: Naruto Uzumaki_

Impatiently, he opened the white and gold envelop and read the content of the neatly folded paper found inside.

It was an invitation to the ceremony for Hanabi.

He froze and nearly dropped the letter. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was being invited to the dethroning of his friend. Of Hinata. He gulped. The color of his face turned pale, and he felt suddenly cold.

The invitation said he would be the guest of honor. The letter still rang in his head. They thought of him as important now. He was invited as a guest of honor. He wanted to be happy. He wanted to rejoice. Never in his life was he referred to as a guest of honor. Especially by such a clan. But he couldn't rejoice.

He was not going to attend. How could he? He wouldn't be able to bear watching Hinata there, all shy yet confident, give her position as heir to her little sister. Yet, that was the exact same reason he wanted to go.

He wanted to go because of Hinata. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to be by Hinata's side. He wanted to see if he could save her like he promised.

He sighed, steadily coming to a decision. Then he went to the kitchen, preparing his ramen and thinking of what to wear for later…


	7. Chapter 7

The afternoon air blew throughout the whole compound, taunting the pale eyed girl to go outside. But Hinata didn't. There was something about the outside world that didn't feel safe. She felt like she would suddenly feel breathless and faint if she stepped out her home. And she knew why…

Outside the compound, the soon-to-be-heiress Hanabi was training with their father. She could hear the sounds of wood breaking and kicks being given. Hinata couldn't help but sigh. _Hanabi is getting stronger._

Hinata was always jealous of her younger sister. She was stronger, smarter, and obviously the favorite of their father. Why couldn't she be more like her? She was weak, shy and obviously unfit to be a ninja.

Hinata continued to think deeply, unaware of everything going on around her. The wind blew through her open window, the sun shined through. The room was her sanctuary, and she wanted time to stop and let herself enjoy for a while.

Then there were soft knockings on her old wooden door. Hinata's head unconsciously faced towards the door as a tall figure stepped it.

"N-Neji-kun." She mumbled, surprised to see her cousin standing there.

"Hinata-sama…" his eyes were quite distant. In a way, his eyes were thinking as deeply as Hinata was. "Are you ready for tonight?"

She nodded, not sure if she had to say anything. Then her eyes returned to watching her sister training outside, with a certain, well known sad jealousy in her expression.

"Why hasn't Hanabi or father prepared yet?" she asked her cousin softly, still not taking her eyes off of her sister and father.

Neji looked at her and smiled a little. She looked beautiful. Her kimono fit her perfectly, and her hair was down like always, but they seemed to shine more. "I don't know…" he said, quite calmed. There was always something about Hinata that made you feel calm, even if she herself wasn't… "Hinata-sama. It's almost time… We need to help prepare the table. Tsunade-sama is coming, along with some of the most respected ninjas of the village. Father wants nothing but perfection."

"That's all father wants." Hinata sighed and whispered to herself as she stood up. Then they left her sanctuary. And Hinata couldn't help but feel the weight on her shoulders as soon as she reached the beautifully designed main hall… It was going to be a long night for her.

* * *

"Why are you doing this Naruto, why are you doing this?" Naruto frantically mumbled to himself as he was dressing up for the ceremony. "Why are you going there?" He foolishly asked himself, slightly growling. He already knew the answer, he knew it better than anyone else. He knew it since that very morning. He was going there for Hinata… for her and for no other reason.

Then he started to relax a little upon remembering Hinata… He knew it was going to break him seeing her there as sadness consumed her. But that was one of the reasons why he needed to go. He wanted to make her smile. That was something he promised right?

And he was going to keep that promise, no matter what.

_Just wait, Hinata…_

After finished dressing up in clothes especially made for such prestigious ceremonies, Naruto looked at himself in his mirror, and sighed. _Is it worth it?_

He glanced outside his window and noticed the dark sky slowly covering the bright day. He needed to go to the Hyuuga Compound now, whether he's ready or not…

* * *

"Hinata, do you mind bringing the tray here?" a branch member asked her.

Hinata nodded and followed as she was told. She never had to set up for the ceremonies before. It was quite amusing for her to experience these kinds of things the branch family does. But she didn't mind. She enjoyed working; it took her mind off of things. She looked around the hall and smiled. The golden colors of the room mixed perfectly with the while chairs and tables. The chandelier brightly glittering above them, making the room look more special. . It was beautiful.

"You look lovely Hinata." One of the few kind Hyuuga members smiled at her, and for once for what seemed like a long time, Hinata felt her heart heat up with sudden hope. Maybe not everyone lost respect for her.

After what seemed like a few minutes, guests started coming, all wearing their best clothes. All of them smiling victoriously. All of them were doing their best to outshine everyone else. But Hinata's simplicity outshone even the brightest of diamonds. And all the ladies at the ceremony just looked at her with envious glares.

Within a few minutes, whispers and chats echoed through the halls. Everyone was mingling and laughing. And Hinata just stood there by the door, greeting all the guests. Doing her best to hide the sadness.

But the next person who came in was the one she did not want to see that night… Not while she was like this anyway.

"N-Naruto-kun?" her pale eyes widened upon seeing Naruto, all confident, standing before her with a grin on his face and an invitation in his hand. "What are you d-doing here…?" her cheeks started burning up, and she could feel it.

Naruto smiled at her and lifted his invitation to show her. He leaned in and whispered to her in a joking manner. "I have no idea to be honest…" he chuckled a little bit which gave Hinata goosebumps. "You look amazing by the way Hinata-chan."

Hinata turned red from his innocent comment. Hinata opened her mouth to say her thanks. But they were disturbed by Hyuuga guard who stared at Hinata with deep eyes before facing Naruto and bowing. "Naruto. I have been asked to escort you to the head table. Lord Hiashi wishes to formally greet you himself."

"What about Hinata?" he blurted out, unaware of how his booming voice silenced the whole room.

"A-Ano, Naruto-kun… It's okay…" she said, doing her best not to attract attention to them.

"You sure Hinata?" he asked her with an eyebrow raised.

_Do it Hinata, speak up. Tell him the truth. Tell him you don't want him to leave you all alone again. Tell him that you need someone to be with you. _"H-Hai. Naruto-kun. I'm sure." Hinata bit her lip as Naruto unwillingly walked away with one of the clan's most respected guards. Once again, she didn't speak up.

Hinata then went back to greeting the guest with fake smiles and praises.

Naruto watched her as he walked away. Why did the clan's most prestigious person want to meet him? He thought of how Hiashi was the one who always insulted him in the past. He was the one who always thought of Naruto weak. And now he wanted to meet him and thank him for coming? Perhaps he was only doing this because Naruto was now the most respected ninja in the village. Hiashi was just another faker.

Naruto sat down beside the father of Hinata. He observed the older man as if he was a statue. All the lines in his face. All the shades of his eyes. And finally, he watched as his eyes were following Hinata as she greeted the guest.

Then Hiashi finally turned to Naruto and wore an unrealistic expression. A gentle smile.

"Welcome, Naruto…" he said, obviously forcing himself to smile. "Thank you for coming here today."

He bowed to acknowledge his greeting. He looked around the table and saw little Hanabi there. She was wearing royal violet robes with a golden belt. Her hair was fixed into a glamorous bun and her face showed awkwardness.

"Naruto…" Hiashi started talking again.

"Hai?" Naruto snapped back his attention to the older Hyuuga.

"I wanted to apologize for my past actions." His eyes were dark but his words were true. Naruto didn't know what to believe. "I have looked past your potential and I only saw the monster… I apologize for my blindness. "

Naruto felt happy, yet there was something stopping him from completely accepting his apology. Naruto felt angry at how much of an idiot the head of the Hyuuga was. Hinata had potential as well, but Hiashi only saw the wallflower…

The thought flooded Naruto's mind. He couldn't concentrate. He completely forgot how he responded to Hiashi's apology. Naruto silently ate in the main table. Everyone in that table was so formal that Naruto was not anywhere near comfortable.

Naruto's eyes followed Hinata as she glided across the room serving the guest with a fake smile. _Even when she smiles fakely, she's still beautiful. _ Naruto couldn't help but smile a little. Hinata looked at him from a distance. They both turned away blushing. _Keep it together Naruto, she's just a girl…_

Naruto looked once again at Hiashi, the rest of the guest at the main table were busy chatting with one another. Hiashi was just there silently eating the carefully prepared dish in front of him.

"L-Lord Hiashi?" Naruto stuttered, feeling weak at the presence of the most prestigious clan's leader. "About Hinata-chan…"

Hiashi groaned before letting Naruto finish. "I am completely sorry for all the trouble that girl has caused you. I know that she is a nuisance to your training and I am sorry that I have not done anything about it." He said those with no emotion. He was nonchalant and continued to eat his dish as if nothing was going on. "Hinata is such a nuisance, even to our clan…"

Naruto clenched his fists. He stood up suddenly. "You're Wrong!" His voice silenced the whole room once again. Hinata looked at him, feeling embarrassed suddenly, because they all knew that he was talking about the dethroned princess. "How could you say that about your own daughter?" He said, as a soft painful whisper.

Naruto did not mind everyone's reaction. He only focused on the head of the clan. "Lord Hiashi, you may not know this, but Hinata is one of the strongest ninjas I know. She has the courage and determination to accomplish everything she wishes. She has saved countless lives… Including my own. She is a gifted ninja and if you do not see this strength in your daughter, then you are missing a lot…"

Everyone listened, then glanced at Hinata, who was blushing slightly from all the attention. But a smile was on her face. Neji was watching from beside her. He was doing his best to hide a smile as well.

Hiashi stood up and turned to Naruto with anger that most of the elders feared. But Naruto stood tall and proud. He has faced many threats in his life, and Hiashi was just one of them… The glares of Hiashi did not faze him.

Hiashi scoffed at his face. "What makes you think you have the right to say that to me?"

"What makes you think you have the right to do that to your own daughter?" He replied, grinding his teeth.

The guests and clan members watched, fear evident in their aura. "I have the right to do what I wish… She is my daughter!"

"Enough!" Everyone turned to see the Hokage enter the room. They all stood up and bowed at her presence… except for Naruto, who was still surrounded by his own anger.

Lady Tsunade turned to face Naruto and Hiashi. "Enough, both of you!"


End file.
